Fire-alarm apparatus.



PATENTBD APR. 16, 1907.

G. W. SMITH. FIFE ALARM APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION TILED DBO.8,1906.

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PATENTED APR. 16, 1907. G. W. SMITH.

FIRE ALARM APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.8,1906.

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@Xhmmsw No. 850,853. PATENTED APR. 16, 1907. G. w. SMITH. FIRE ALARM APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.8,1906.

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ing is'a specification.

'- improved fire alarm- UNITED "s'rilrns PihTEfiT orrrcn.

GEORGE W. SMITH, OF BALTIMORE MARYLAND, .ASSIGNOR OF ONF-HALF AUGUST EMRICH, O-F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FIRE-ALARM- APPARATUS! Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 16, 1907.

To all whom, it may con'cern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. Sirrrn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Alarm Apparatus, of which the follow This invention relates to improvements in mechanism for fire-alarm boxes. i

. One object of the invention is to provide an box mechanism, so that the opening of the door'of' the boX for the tion of t purpose of sending in an alarm will cause the operationof a signal at thebox to notify the citizens in the neighborhood and by such lattersignal to deter persons from sending-in false alarms.

Another object'of the invention is to provide a construction whereby the movementof the door in the opening of the box will cause both'alarm mechanisms to be operated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction of the door whereby the alarm. mechanisms may both be'concealed and protected.

"Another-object. is to construct the door in such manner that the local alarm mechanism. .may be applied thereto and'the invention thus be capable of attachment to the boxes now inuse by the substitution of the new doors in. the place ol the old ones.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construe ion wlurreby a to: the alarms have been operated the )arts i'nay again be brought into operative relation merely by closing the door.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a construction whereby by a single operation the alarm mechanis m ay be rencle 1d inoperative by an authorized person. desir g; to inspect the mechanism, so the door may be opened without sounding either alarm.

The accon'ipanying drawings illustrate the irwention, in wliich---' Figure 1 illustrates a front elevation of a the heft nil. ill'u t roved devices in side ele vat ing anfejiarm. Big. 4 illustrates a rear eleve n redder ices attached to the insideofthe door, the same being in a see ion and in the position for sou nde l l l l l tion to enable the door to beopened by an inspector without so Fig. 5 illustrates a pl for operating the alarms. Fig. 6 shows a sectional plan detail of the key and the de vices engaged thereby for shifting the mechanism to permit inspection without sounding the alarms. Fig. 7 illustrates a rear elevation of the improved mechanism with the exception of the gong, vibratin hammer, and spring, all of which. have been removed.

igsj8 and 9 illustrate two views of the trip devices for releasing the local alarm mechanism, and Fig. 10 shows a front elevation of the box'as seen from the exterior.

1 Referring to the drawings by numerals, l

designates a box, which may be of any desired shape, but which in the present instance is of.the conventional form employed in nu' merous cities. The box is provided with a compartment 2, containing an inner box 3,

which latter is also provided with a door 4.

This inner box is designed to contain any suitable form of fire-alarm mechanism which when operated will give an alarm at a distant point, such as the fire-alarm headquarters.

This mechanism is inaccessible except to ail-- thorized persons having a key, which may be inserted in the keyhole 6 of t e door 4. The

door 4 of the inner boat is provided with a slot 7, and a .==o-callod "hook 8 has one end projecting outwardly through this slot, while its other end is connected to the fire alarm mechanism, so as to form a trip. Upon'depressing or pulling down the outer end o'ltl is hook the lire-alarm mechanism will be released and-setin motion and the proper sig' nal of a "re to designate the location will he received at the headquarters, when the alarm then sent out to the department. As a number of alarm devices of this depressibh bool: character are now in use, I have prelerred to illustrate nlyinvention in commotion therowitl'i, so that my improved means may be readily attached or applied to those devices. It to be understood, however, that my invention is not limited to any particular form. or conslrui'stion cl liremlarm meclianisin, but is applicable to any form of device where a trip may be operated to set the alarm. mechanism in motion.

.ln the clmstruction shown the door 4 of the inner box 3 is provided with a vol-tically-extending slot 7, through which'the hook or trip-lover 8 of the lire-alarm mcohanisn' prounding either alarm.

an view of the devices.

IIO

jeats. A bracket 9 is rigidly secured to the door 4 adjacent the slot, and said bracket has an arm 10, which projects downward and outwardly and extendsaway from said slot. and lies in a vertical plane at the side ol the trip-lever 8. This brackethas an upper inclined surface it and a bottom inclined guidesurface 12, which serve useful purposes in the actuation ol the signal mechanism and in the tached to the inner side of and carried by the outer door of the box, so as to be concealed. This mechanism will now be described.

The outer door 13 of the box is provided with a recess or compartment 14, and this door in the present instance is hinged at 15 to a Vertical side of the box 1.

Two guide-strips l6 and 17 are rigidly secured to the inner side of the door 13, and a slidab'le' plate 18 has position between said guide-strips and is movable lengthwise or in a horizontal direction between said guidestrips. Brackets 19 are secured to the slidable plate 18, and an arm 20 is pivoted between said brackets and is movable in a horizontal plane with. said brackets and plate.

.A lug 21 is provided on the lower side of the arm 20, and a set-screw 22 screws through said lug and has its mner end resting against the guide-strip 17. A spring 23 serves to draw the lug 21 toward the guide-strip, and

the inner end of the screw in conthe said strip. By ad usting the thus kee tact wit screw the free end of the arm 20 may be set that is, raised or lowered'so as to properly position it with respect to the arm 10 on the rout of the inner door 4. An operating-arm 24 is pivotally connected to and carried by the free end of the arm 20, and this arm proje'ctstoward the door 4 of the inner box and at its extreme end is provided with lug or pin 25, which projects laterally and lies in the same vertical plane as the arm 10 on the door 4. A spring 26 at the under side of the arms 20 and 24 and overlapping the two serves to hold the arm 24 up and prevent its free end l' om dropping; but this spring enables the t ree end of said arm 24 to be depressed when the force of the spring is overcome. T he position of the arms 20 and 24 with. respect to the projecting end of the trip-lever 8 ol' the lire-alarm mechanism 18 such that they will he in the same vertical plane and directly over said trip-lever, while the pin 25 willprojectlaterally and beneath t to bottom inclined surface 12 ot the arm 10 when the outer door 13 is closed, as clearly seen in Fig. 2.

l It is to be understoodthat!the arms20 and 1 24 are both indirectly carried by the slidable plate 18 and that when the said plate is moved laterally between the guide-strips 16 and t7 the arms will also be moved laterally. The devices for accomplishing this lateral movement of the plate and arms and the'p'ur pose of moving them will now be explained.

"lhe outer door 13 of the tire-alarm box is provided with a keyhole 27-, (see Fig: 10,1

front of the slidable plate 18 and the lower guide-strip lT,'as can )e seen in Figs. 4 and 6. A slot 281s also provided in the slidableplate tion the slot. 2R will register with the kevhole in the outer door. At the side of the slot28 and secured to the slidable plate 18 there isa lug 29, against which the key 30 strikes when rigidon the plate is, the turning of the ey lines in Fig. 5.

seen that by shifting the plate 18 lateral] the arms 20 and 24 and the pin or lug 25 wi l sition over the trip-lever 8, and the door 13 may then be opened without causing any downward movement of said arms and wall can only be done by a person who is provide with a suitable key. A bracket 31is seeute'iti serves as a bearing for the inner end of the key to turn in. A spiral spring 33 continually draws on the slidable p ate 18 and tends to the said plate such movement ofthe plate must be against the action of the spring. pin 34, projecting from the ,door 13, serves to tion of the pull of the s ring. I

and then operation is as follows: Refe ring seen that when the outer door 13 is closed the tionary arm 1() on the door of the inner box,

lever S. This position of the said arm and atljusting-screw 22. 13 opens, the pin 25 will project beneath the lower inclined edge 12 of the bracket 10, and the free end of the arm 24. will be required to move downwardly, as seen in Fig. 3, and by such downward movement to depress the mechanism. As the outer movement of the and this kevhole has position immediately in:

18, and when said plate is in thenormal po'siit is turned in the keyholes; As this lu is.

will cause said plate to be-shit'ted laterallyy as seen m full lines in Fig.6 and in broken By referring to Fig. 0 it will beclea'rly.

all be moved laterally from their normal po-- out operating the trip-lever. v This, of course to the lower guide-strip 1.7 and is providedwith a perforation 32, which recelves and.

keep said plate in the normalalarm-o crating. position, and when the key is turnet to shift limit the movement of the plate inthe dinec,-'

The mec ianism an devices heretofore le v scribed coact to operate the fire-alarm mach amsm upon the movement'of the outer door,

to Figs .2 and 5 of the drawings, it wil be i pin 25 on the arm 24 projects behind the stag while said arm is directly over the-trip-- pin is readily attained throughthe aid of the When the outer .door I trip-lever 8, and thusreleaso the fire-alarm it dropped down to I cause the operation of the elined surface, elevating the the outer door 13 is closed.

being .l'reed therefrom will be forced up by the spring- 26, so with t he arm 20. improved mechanism as to again project parallel here lire-a1 arm mechanism when the door movesoutwardly.

An nnpor-tant feature of the invention in connection with the mechanism heretofore described is-that the resetting of the alarmoperating mechanism is accomplished auto: matically or by the closing of the door.

.lt has been explained that after the door has been opened sufficiently to free the pin :25 from the bracket that the arm 24 will be elevated by the spring 26 and assuu-ie the same position. with respect to the door as that shown in Fig. 2. Vi hen the door is be ing closed, however, the said pin will contact with the upper inclined surface 11 or" the bracket 10, and the further closing of said door will cause said pin to ride up said inarms 20 and 24 the spring 23, and when closed said pin will have over said surface 11 and its reset position behind the bracket 10, as shown in Fig.5. The screw 22 then holds the. pin and arms in position over the trip-lever 8 until the door is again opened.

A suitable latch st the inner side of the door 13 is mounted on a stem 36, which pro-' jects through the door, and a. hand-lever 37 is mounted on the outer end of the stem and has position on'the exterior-of the door. By turning this hsnd-levcr the door may be opened, and no'lock or key is employed.

It may be desirable to employ some means to cause the door to be forced open upon the operation of the latch 35 to release it, and for such purpose I provide a spring 38, which i attach to'the inner side of the free end 39 ol which will Contact with and be compressed against the inner door when against the tension of the door is fully traveled entirely [is has heretofore been pointed out, one object of this invention is to combine with the improved meclninism for operating the lirealarm mechanism suitable additional lnecl'lanisrn which will be mitomutieal erstcd by the movement of the door to give a local or ncigl'lborhood alarm. ".ihis l-z mechanism. un ty very Widely from that shown. it only he in the form of a bellalarm, as l have here illustrated; matter what torn: or construction it may as sumo it is to be operated upon the o iening of the door. In the present instunee 1 have arranged the local alarm n'ieehsnisin that its i trip device will be operated by the more mcut of the same devices that operate the trip of the lire-elarni mechanism. Beneath thcslidable piste. 18 and secured to the inner side of the outer door 3251s obese It will thus be seen thatthe I employed willg door and the but no i plate 40, which carries the local alarm mecln anism. This meclnmism in the present in stance comprises a train of gears, the main gear 41 of which is mounted on the powersha-ft, inch is operated by s sprin s 4.12. All escapement 43 is provided to control the l speed or rotation of the gears, and vibrator or hammer is is operated by the escapcmeut, so to strike the 5.

The devices to directly eosct train of gears whereby to start and. rotation of the latter will now be d By reference to Figs. 2,

I. and i be seen that the hfec gear ti is provided with two laterallyprojectiug pins in and 1? The pin 46 has position near the peripher the gear, while the pin 47 is located at a point nearer the center or hub of the gear. The

pin 46 is employed as a stop for the train. of

gears after the gear ll has made one com- .5; plots revolution, and said pin is caught and released by devices nmv to be described. A rocking bar 48 is pivotuily securedto the base-plate 40, and one end otsaid bar-is provided with a side lug; 49, which projects let .erally toward the side of the gear end in the path of the pin in on said gear. When the car 4813 in the position shown u h; :3

and 7, the pin so will contact with end held Si-IllIlOIlitlfv' by the lug -19, and consequently the train ol" gen will be held. egainst movement. A. sprin murm I'll) has one end 5i riveted to the baswpluteil). and the other or free end of said arm projects between. the

rocking bar in and l usr. -pl:1te and springs l outwardly toward said bar. and th' spring,"

end is provided with u. laterally dueling l lug 52. rvvhich when the rockihg bar tilted,

as shown in Figs. a and i will project over the in; end of said rot-king bar and hold the latter down lot a given period'. 'ilhe'ohject in holding the lug end of the rocking: bar

' down temporarily is to release the pin it) und l permit the gears to revolve. After the pin- 46 has passed over the lug i9 the rocking bar i it; must be roles 'l bf." the lug 52. so snidimr i can be returned tr .Y.s1n n1ulpositionlostop l the revolution of the rend-H I a single revolution.

in order to remove mm 53, one end 51- omvhicl us it l'fomnlrlrs hose-plate and.

its bond firm 50 on I2 sway arm id release the rocking bar. I released, it will be returned to its normal position to place its lug 49 in the path of the pin 46.

In order to cause the rocking bar 48 to be operated at the proper time, so the local alarm may be sounded by the opening of the door, I connect said rocking bar with the devices that operate the lire-alarm mechanism, so both alarms may be operated by the same devices.

One end of the rocking bar 48 is provided with a laterally-bent end 57, which end carries a pin 58, and to this pin 1 loosely connect r 5 the lower end of a vertically-movable tripbar 59. This trip-bar slides in a suitable guide or case 60, which is secured to the baseplate, and the upper end of said trip-bar is rovided with a head 61, which carries a ori'zontally-projecting pin 62. It will be understood that if the trip-bar 59 is drawn upwardly such movement of the bar will cause'the bar 48 to be rocked, and the lug 49 on said rock-bar will be lowered and moved from in front of the pin 46 and the gears thus permitted to begin revolving. While th e pin 46 is passing over the lug 49 the rocking bar is held in its rocked position by the lug 52; but upon the release of said lug, as

0 heretofore explained, the rocking bar will be returned by the action of the spiral spring 63, which is connected to the head 61 of the tri -bar.

order to draw the trip-bar 59 upwardly 3 5 to set the local alarm mechanism in operation, I provide a sort of bell-crank lever 64, which I pivotallyconnect at 65 to the arm 20, and one branch 66 of this bell-crank lever extends parallel with and at the sides of the arms 20 and 24, and the end of this branch is provided with a slot 67, through which pin 68 passes loosely to retain said end at the side of and to the end of the said arm 24, as clearly seen in Figs. 2 and 3. The lower end ofthis bell-crank lever is provided with a head 69,

having a segment-slot 70 therein, and thissegmerit-slot receives the pin 62 on the tripbar 59.

It is to be understood that the bell-crank 5o lever is carried by the arms 20 and 24 and moves laterally with said arms when the latter are shifted by the ke'y 30 to prevent sounding an alarm, as heretofore explained.

When the door 13 is opened, however, for the purpose of sounding an alarm, the same movement of the arm 24 that operates the trip lever 8 will also operate the bell-crank lever to raise the trip-bar 59 of the local alarm, and consequently both alarms will be sounded by the movement of the door.-

Wheu, however, the slidable plate 18 has been shifted to permit the door to be opened Without sounding an alarm, the opening of the door will not de ress the arm 24, and con- 6 5 sequently neither 0 said alarms will be op'e'r- When the rocking bar is thus :anism it has been described how the upward movement of the trip-bar 59 actuates the rock-bar 48 and raises the stop-lug 49 so the pin 46 can pass under it and permit the train of gears to revolve. It has also been explained that the rock-bar and lug 49 are returned to their normal positions so as to again stop the revolution of the gears after or upon a single revolution is important for the reason that it prevents the continuous revolution of the gears until the entire spring force is expended and by thus'stopping the movement of said gears at the comp etion of each revolution enables the local alarm mechanism to be reset merely by closing the door and without the necessity of immediately rewinding the spring. The speed of revolution of the large gear 41 is slow, and the local alarm would therefore be sounded for a long enough eriod to serve its purpose, while the said a arm would still be in condition to several times repeat its operation without the necessity ofrewinding.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A fire-alarm a paratus comprising a box; a door for said ox; a fire-alarm mech anism in said box; a local alarm mechanism carried by the door; an alarmoperating means also carried by the door, said means serving to operate both alarms, and means for shifting the alarm'operating means toprevent its operating the alarms.

' 2.'A fire-alarm apparatus comprising a box; a door for said box; a fire-alarm mechanism in said box; a local alarm mechanism 3 also in' said box; an-arm pivotally sustained onthe inside of said door; means coacting between the pivoted arm and the fire-alarm mechanism; means eoacting between said arm and the local alarm mechanism both of said coaeting means being operated by the movement of the door, and a catch for holding the door closed.

3. A firealarm apparatus comprising a box; a door for said box; a fire-alarm mechanism in said box; a local alarm mechanism also in said box; an arm pivotally sustainedon the inside of the door; means carried by. the arm foroperating the fire-alarm mechanism; means also carried by the arm f or operating the local alarm mechanism, and means for moving the alarm-operating devices away from the alarm mechanisms.

4. A fire-alarm apparatus comprising a box; a door for said box; a fire-alarm mech-- anism in said box; a local alarm mechanism also in said box; an arm. mounted on the inside of the door and capable of vertical move- IIO ment; means carried by said arm to operate the fire-alarm mechanism; means also carried by said arm to operate thelocal alarm mechanism and means for causing the actuation of both of said operating means by the movement of the door. 1

5. A fire-alarm apparatus comprising a box; a door for said box; a fire-alarm mechanism in said box; an arm mounted on the inside of the door and having an upward vertical movement; a depressible arm carried bysaid upwardly-movable arm; means for causing the depression of said arm during the opening of the door to actuate the firealarm mechanism, and means for moving the other arm upwardly to reset the said arms during the closing of the door.

6. A fire-alarm apparatus comprising a box; a door for said box; a fire-alarm mechanism in said box; a local alarm mechanism also in said box; an arm mounted on the mside of the door and having an upward movement; a depressible arm carried by said upwardly-movable arm; means for causing the depression oi said arm to actuate both alarms when thedoor 1S bcmg opened, and means for moving the arms upwardly during the closing-of the door to reset saidarms.

7 A fire alarm apparatus comprising a box; a door for said box; a tire-alarm mech anism in, said box; a local alarm mechanism local alarm mechanism in' said box and also having a trip-arm; a stationary bracket adjacent the trip-arm of the fire-alarm mechanism; an arm pivotally'sustained from the in,

' ner side of the door and en gaging said bracket,

pivoted arm andbracken 5 and a lever connected with the trip o'tthe local alarm mechanism and operated by the 9.1 A lire-alarm apparatus comprising la box; 'a door; a lire-alarm mechanism having a a trip,'a local alarm mechanism also havin a trip; astationary bracket adjacent the" trip of one (it said alarms; an arm sustained from the mner'snle 'ol' the door and engaging said stationary bracket; means for connecting said arm with one of said trip devices, and

means whereby the arm niay be moved out of engagen'ient with said bracket.

it). A iire-alarm apparatus comprising a box a door; ilrlllLY-(Llttllll mechanism having a trip; alocal'alarm mechanism also having a trip; a stationary bracket adjacent the trip ol the lire-alarm mechanism, an arm pivotally and slidabl'y sustained from the inside of the door and engaging said bracket; a lever pivotally mounted on said arm, said lever engaging the trip of the local alarm mechanism, and a catch independent of said devices for holding the door closed. I

11. A fire-alarm apparatus comprising a box; a door; a tire-alarm mechanism having a trip; a local alarm mechanism also'havinga trip; a stationary bracket adjacent the trip of the fire-alarm lechanism, said bracket having an upper and a lower inclined guidesurfaee an armpivotally sustained from the inside of the door; means coaeting between said arm and the trip 01 the local alarm whereby the opening of the'door will operate both alarms and the closing of the. door will reset the operating devices.

12. A fire-alarm apparatus comprising a box; a door; a fire-alarm mechanism; a local alarm mechanism; an arm pivoted to the inside of' the door; an arm pivoted to said doorarm and movable independently of the latter to operate the fire-alarm mechanism, and a lever operated. by the arm that actuates the fire-alarm mechanism to operate the local alarm mechanism.

13. A fire-alarm apparatus comprising a box; a door; a fire-alarm mechanism; a local alarm mechanism having a vertically-movable trip; an arm slidably and pivotally sustainedlrom the inside of the door; meanscoacting between said arm and the fire-alarm mechanism; a bell-crank lever pivoted to said arm and engaging said vertically-movable trip of the local alarm, and a-cateh for holding the door closed.

14. A fire-alarm apparatus comprising a box; a door; a fire-alarm mechanism; alocal alarm mechanism; a trip device for said lattcr mechanism; means on the inside of the door for operating said trip device when the door is opened; means coacting with said local alarm mechanism to cause the latter to operate gi or a given period, and means whereby said alarm mechanisms are reset and ready l'oranother operation upon the closing of the door. i

15. A tire-alarm apparatus comprising 'a box; a door; a fire-alarm mechanism in said box; a local alarm mechanism in said box; means for holding the local alarm mechanism against operation; a trip device 'for operating said holding means; means on the inside of the door for operating the tri as the door is opened; means'for stopping t e oper- 

